Voters Guide: Ohio Senate -- District 3

Sunday

Oct 31, 2010 at 12:01 AMOct 31, 2010 at 12:47 PM

A Democratic funeral-home director and a two-term Republican state lawmaker headline the battle in Ohio's 3 {+r} {+d} Senate District, which includes Worthington, Westerville and much of the eastern quarter of Franklin County.

A Democratic funeral-home director and a two-term Republican state lawmaker headline the battle in Ohio's 3 {+r}{+d} Senate District, which includes Worthington, Westerville and much of the eastern quarter of Franklin County.

Mark Pfeifer, 43, of Reynoldsburg, a funeral-home operator, is facing Kevin Bacon, 38, a two-term House member from Minerva Park. Also running is Libertarian William Yarbrough, 40, of New Albany.

They are vying to replace Sen. David Goodman, R-New Albany, who is term-limited at the end of the year. Although the district has a fairly even political split, it has long been in Republican control.

The winner will be forced to deal with a potential $8billion budget shortfall.

Bacon, elected to the House in 2006, said state government is "bloated," and "cuts should be applied as evenly as possible."

"Before Ohioans can be asked to take a cut in services the state of Ohio first must examine itself and cut its own spending," he said. "First, massive agency, board and commission consolidation must be implemented. Second, any nonessential state services and capital expenditures should be eliminated or at least delayed."

Bacon also supports performance audits, encouraging local government consolidation, and stripping education and local governments of mandates. "If our schools and local governments had more flexibility on how they spent their money, they could do so more efficiently."

Pfeifer is a conservative-leaning Democrat who says he wants to end partisan politics and create jobs through payroll tax credits and less outsourcing.

"All of my (budget) ideas revolve around not raising taxes and not cutting any services," Pfeifer said.

He said Ohio should refinance its debt, look more at containing back-office costs, such as payroll and technology staffs, and rein in Medicaid growth. "Instead of increasing a payment for a service based on an inflation factor, just hold it constant," he said.

Pfeifer said he also would look at privatization options, such as the state lottery.

"There are some Democratic values I stand for, different types of human services and taking care of those who can't care for themselves," he said. "But I'm not for big government."

He said he would work at reducing partisan politics by "working on an agenda for the taxpayer, not a Republican agenda or a Democratic one. I would stop criticizing past decisions of others."